Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a knee air bag apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a knee air bag apparatus for protecting the knees of an occupant in a vehicle in the event of an accident and a method for manufacturing the same.
Discussion of the Background
Generally, a vehicle is equipped with an air bag apparatus, which receives gas in the event of an accident and, as such, inflates to protect an occupant in the vehicle.
Such an air bag apparatus is installed at desired areas of a vehicle. For example, there are a driver seat air bag apparatus mounted in a steering wheel to protect a driver seated in a driver seat, a passenger seat air bag apparatus mounted inside a portion of a front panel above a glove box to protect an occupant seated in a passenger seat, a curtain air bag apparatus mounted along a roof rail to protect a side of an occupant, a knee air bag apparatus mounted inside an instrument panel to protect the knees of an occupant, and so on.
The knee air bag apparatus includes an air bag housing installed inside the instrument panel to accommodate an inflator for generating gas and an air bag. In the event of a vehicle accident, the air bag receives gas generated from the inflator and, as such, is inflated and deployed to protect the knee of an occupant.
Typically, the inflator is installed within the air bag in order to allow the air bag to be inflated and deployed by gas generated by the inflator.
In order to install the inflator within the air bag, an inflator hole is perforated through the air bag such that the inflator is inserted into the air bag through the inflator hole. That is, the inflator is inserted into the air bag through the inflator hole such that the inflator is completely accommodated within the air bag.
A wire is connected to the inflator in order to send an electrical signal from a controller to the inflator in the event of a vehicle accident. When the inflator receives the electrical signal via the wire, a gas production medium contained in the inflator produces gas.
The wire connected to the inflator should be connected to the controller after passing through the inflator hole formed through the air bag. For this reason, the inflator hole is usually not sealed. As a result, gas generated from the inflator in the event of a vehicle accident may be discharged outwards from the air bag through the inflator hole and, as such, the deployment pressure of the air bag may not be optimal. For this reason, there may be a problem in that the air bag cannot protect the knees of the occupant due to the lower pressure.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.